Shiatsu is a form of massage therapy that has its origins in Japan. It involves lots of different massage techniques & the client is fully clothed. It is given on a mat on the floor, although it can be given in a seated position if lying isn’t comfortable.

It’s an enjoyable & relaxing experience, the client can feel calm & peaceful. It is tailored to suit each client on the day they are treated, so each Shiatsu treatment is different. It can be a very satisfying experience with a lot of ‘that’s the spot’ moments.

It’s a form of massage therapy that is suitable for all. It is great for young & old, for babies & children, for families, for pregnant ladies. I have had clients come for a wide range of complaints or concerns, backache, siatica, chronic pain, headaches, neck ache, depression, stress, anxiety, work injuries, relationship difficulties or breakups, pregnancy & fertility.

I have been practicing Shiatsu massage in Exwick, Exeter for 5 years. I have been qualified for 7 years having completed the 3 year training course at the Devon School of Shiatsu. I have continued to complete professional development work since I qualified.

My practice room is calm & quiet. There is easy on street parking & it’s easy to get to by bus or train. The space I offer is a chance to step away from life for an hour, to take a breath, to have nothing expected of you, it’s safe & confidential, supportive & nurturing.

I love Shiatsu as a form of therapy, it is gentle & not intrusive. I love the effect it can have on people’s energy levels, focus & drive. It is a pleasure to see people have relief from symptoms & to feel taller & stronger. It is a powerful form of healing that is also enjoyable, supportive & comforting.

I’m also happy to talk Shiatsu so do get in touch through the ‘contact me’ page. Have a look on my Facebook page & please like if you fancy it. You can check out the Shiatsu Society website for information on Shiatsu.

Spring is a time of budding of opening of new life & new starts. This goes for us humans too, Spring is a great time for coming up with ideas & new ventures, for jotting down our dreams & aspirations. A time to enjoy our creativity & draw inspiration from the new life emerging around us.

Spring is the time of year that relates to the Wood element, within 5 Element diagnosis, which Shiatsu massage uses as one form of diagnosis. If you imagine a tall, strong tree moving & swaying in the wind, this is the wood element in harmony. The body feels flexible & fluid. The mind & emotions are flexible & adaptable. Everthing happens with ease, joints move smoothly & the whole body is supple.

When the wood element is out of balance you can imagine the tree in two ways. One, it is brittle & unflexible, unable to move with the wind, it is stiff & may break, or becomes rigid & stuck in one position. Two, it is too eager to grow & expand, it pushes itself higher forgetting its lower trunk & roots, it becomes thin & weak & can be pushed too much by the wind. Again it’s the same with our bodies, we can become inflexible, rigid with tension, we can become stuck in a rut. Or we can become too driven, push ourselves too hard, we can become driven by our emotions, become angry too quickly for instance. Often this also leads to a lot of tension, headaches & eye complaints.

How do we keep our wood energy in balance then? Well Shiatsu massage is a good way to start!! Of course I would say that right – so let’s come back to that. Here’s some tips that you can use on yourself at home.

1. Stretch every morning & night – just 5 minute if that’s all the time you have. Be gentle & don’t push too hard, listen to your body. Warm up before stretching. Work on your neck & shoulders & your inner thingh – all places where tension maybe found with excess wood energy.

So back to Shiatsu massage. It can be great if you are feeling stuck or stagnant, it can be great for tension or strain, Shiatsu massage can be a massive energy boost. It is a relaxing & enjoyable experience & afterwards you may feel invigorated, energized, more flexible & adaptable.

Similarly if you are feeling over-worked & stressed, like there is too much happening & you can’t settle, Shiatsu massage can be calming & centering. Bringing you back to a place where you can feel your roots & the strength in your trunk. Quietening the mind & emotions & giving some sense of strength in your core. Shiatsu works to balance the energy in the body, to get the tree strong but flexible as it were.

If you’d like to know more please get in touch through the ‘contact me’ page. There’s more info on th e other pages on this site too.

Pregnancy is such a special time for a woman, it’s magical as the body does the most indredible things. Pregnant ladies get told they are ‘blooming’ & they do often look so well. There are times in most pregancy when it is difficult. Tiredness is a big issue, especially at the beginning. Most people are aware of morning sickness but nausea or sickness can be all day, & night, & sometimes for the whole pregnancy.

A woman’s body generally knows what it’s doing & often when giving a Shiatsu it is just supporting what the body is doing. Sometimes the body needs more help. Sickness can be eased & tiredness can be limited with Shiatsu massage.

Sometimes the body struggles physically & needs help with flow of blood & fluids, to ease swollen ankles for examples. The pelvis takes a lot of weight as the pregnancy goes on, it is pressed down & the small joints in the pelvic area begin to ache or hurt. Shiatsu can be really helpful for relieving pain & supporting the pelvis so that it can withstand the weight. The body can be affected in many ways as so much space is taken up by baby, reflux & heartburn can also be eased with Shiatsu massage.

Shiatsu massage can also be used to jump start labour. Induction treatments can be arranged when full term has been reached. Shiatsu can also be used to turn the baby if they are in a difficult position for birth. In labour Shiatsu can be helpful with a lot of things, exhaustion, pain, quickening the Labour.

For pregnant women Shiatsu can take place at any time. Some women chose to wait until 12 weeks before they have Shiatsu massage. Generally I give Shiatsu at my practice in Exwick, Exeter but home visits can arranged for later pregnancy.

So I have struggled to get to this blog over the last week. I was busy giving lots of Shiatsu at the weekend. One of the principles of Shiatsu massage is to be effortless, to not work at giving the treatment. However doing numerous massages over two days made this difficult & I was tired afterwards.

Then I returned back to Exeter to my children, this was the first time I had been away from them over night. My eldest took it in his stride but my youngest struggled & for a couple of days he really made me know that he had missed me! Following that he has now got ill & I was up all night with him, with earache.

In amongst this I have managed to update my Shiatsu accounts, ready to do the dreaded tax return. I have arranged a couple of new Shiatsu opportunities & have seen new clients. I do enjoy working for myself & mixing my work & home life so closely but it has meant I’m not left with much energy at the end of the day.

I have been doing Do-In every morning, waking each of the meridians, lines of energy, that Shiatsu works on in the massage. Taking time to wake up my joints & limbs, focussing on each part of my body. Rubbing & gentle hitting the meridian lines. Stretching & rotating my joints. This has helped re-build my energy after the busy weekend.

I have used Shiatsu to support my own digestion. I have had issues with this in the past & generally I am ok now. I ate different things at different times this weekend & this has left me in some discomfort. Shiatsu can be really good for digestive issues, for reflux or heart-burn, for IBS or constipation. I have worked specific points, or Tsubos, & have relieved the symptoms I had.

So a busy Shiatsu week down here is sunny but freezing cold Exeter, Devon. Even when I’m busy I still have time to chat Shiatsu so if you would liek to know if Shiatsu may help support you then do get in touch. you can do this thriugh the ‘contact me’ page. You can also check out & like my Facebook page for offers & events. You can also head to the Shiatsu Society website for information on Shiatsu massage.

Hope you have all had good day. Whatever your religious belief’s a day when no shops are open, life is slow & most people are with their families is a good day, right?

I spent today in sunny Hampshire with my sons & husband, his mum, brother, sister & brother in law & their kids. The happiest part of the day was watching the cousins enjoying themselves together, content, gang-like & getting along beautifully.

I also spent some of the day giving Shiatsu massage to my poor mother in law, who was trying to enjoy Easter with Sciatic pain. I gave her Shiatsu in the morning, before lunch & just before we left to come home. It was a short session each time which was enough for her. It reminded me that sometimes it is good to have a number of short sessions close together, to help treat specific issues. I have had different agreements with different clients so that I can support their needs.

Each Shiatsu massage helped my mother in law & she was able to get through the day without the distress of the unpleasant pain Sciatica causes. I also showed her some exercises that may help her & there was some discussion, around the dinner table, regarding what the best stretches for Sciatica are. Stretching can be brilliant for Sciatica but also it is important to be careful, listen to your body & not stretch too far. Stretches that are back twists, with legs pulled up can really help as can back-arching stretches. I am always happy to advise on stretches & other life style support at the end of a session.

At the end of a happy family day we also had a really easy journey back to Devon. It’s lovely to be back in Exeter, in our own home & I’m looking forward to sleeping in my own bed. I am glad that the chocolate gorging is over, mostly my sons still have a bit to work through. I’m sad that we don’t live nearer to the family. I’m happy that yet again I mixed my daily life with a little Shiatsu.

No Shiatsu related business took place today, however it has been a joy-filled, productive day, although on the surface of it not much happened! The day was helped, quite a lot, by the most glorious weather. Everything’s easier when there is a clear sky & the warm sun.

It’s the Easter holidays so both boys woke happy & energetic this morning. We went out early & bought two Venus Fly Trap’s, as my eldest had read about them & has waited over the winter to get one. The plants are domant until the warmer weather, hence the delay. Of course the youngest had to have one to. There was then a discussion about how to make sure we knew which plant belonged to which boy. Pots were purchased & decorated & by 10am the plants were in place, waiting for a fly or two.

The boys then seemed content in the garden so I began digging a flower bed, we are havjng a Shiatsu shed built so lots of plants need to be moved. I thought I would be rushing this job at the last minute, almost whilst the shed was being delivered! Actually the boys being content gave me space to do this essential job, & gain enjoyment from doing it.

Lunch was a lazy, snacky affair, often the best type of meals. The boys ate the good stuff & had a bit of sweet stuff in reward. This brought us to the subject of Easter eggs & how long it was until Easter & said chocolate eggs. I love decorating for Christmas & Easter & Birthdays & I realised this hadn’t happened yet. After lunch we all tidied up, out came the decs & up they went.

In one day Easter arrived & a whole new flower bed was dug, composted & planted. A good day’s work, & acheived with ease. We have been so busy this last few days & a quiet, home day, gave us rest & allowed us to settle a bit. The boy’s didn’t even ask to go out & I enjoyed them pottering & playing contentedly. It reminded me that quiet days & rest are important, also taking care of your environment can feel satisfying & cleansing. We start a run of busy days again tomorrow but I reckon we will cope well thanks to our rest.

It’s the first day of the Easter holidays, down here in Exeter, Devon. We took our sons to a wood, which had an Easter trail to follow. There was no prize but stamps as we wentcto punch hipoles in their trail guides.We had a great time & I was reminded of the joy you can get from small things. Our boys walked slowly, they chatted to us about whatever they wanted. They enjoyed the gorse flower smell, like coconut, they sat quietly in the bird hides for long periods. They loved finding the stamps in the trail & the muddy puddles to splash in & the stoney slopes to run down.

I watched them sauntering & winding their way, stopping whenever they fancied, enjoying the beauty & nature of the woods around them. They just seemed happy & relaxed. It helped me be in the moment too, to take in the fresh air, to watch the birds, to listen to the noises of the woods. There is so much to be said about making the most of the small stuff, being in the moment . Also enjoying nature & the natural world. It was a special family day, even though it was just a trip to the woods. I’m hoping there is a lot more to come this holiday.

Shiatsu massage can bring you back into yourself, it can slow you down & help you reconnect to where you are & what is important to you. If you are interested in finding out more then do get in touch through the ‘contact me’ page.

Shiatsu massage is suitable for all & can be really helpful & positive for children. Children have issues, as do adults, & treating them energetically & holistically when young can help stop complaints becoming stagnant & chronic. Shiatsu massage is so gentle but is also powerful. It doesn’t take much to get the energy flowing & rebalancing in a child’s body. This can help the body learn & keep up healthy patterns. It can give confidence & focus.

Children are generally very responsive to Shiatsu & have a good result, both from a treatment & from Shiatsu for a specific issue. I use Shiatsu to relax & calm my sons before bed. I also use it, successfully, to help regular bowel movements, if there has been a delay or constipation. Sometimes my boys have experienced discomfort from digesting food, I have been able to ease this & also release trapped wind. These things are important for children!

I have supported older children through exam stress & times of unease & inabilty to make changes or decisions. I have also found Shiatsu massage successful with helping to speed up physical injuries such as twisted ankles & knees. It has also helped children with head ache & eye issues.

Shiatsu massage can be given to a whole family. Home visits can be arranged & prices can be negotiated. This is such a positive experience for the whole family unit & an absolute joy to give. If you are interested in finding out more about Shiatsu for children, family Shiatsu or self Shiatsu for yourself & your family then get in touch. Details are on the ‘contact me’ page.